Label-holder



No. 610.346. Patented Sept. 6, |898. J. H. DDWNING.

LABEL HOLDER.

(Application led Oct. 18, 1597.)

No Model.) ,5

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ATTDRNEY ws Pcrcns co.. pHoro-uwe.. WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES JOHN H. DOWNING-'OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA.

LABEL-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,346, dated September 6, 1898. Application filedOctober 18, 1897. Serial No. 655,544. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. DOWNING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portsmouth, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Label-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a holder for manifest-cards for freight-cars. Such cards usually give the consignees name and address and any special directions the shipper may desire.

The object of the invention is to provide certain improvements on the device shown and described in United States Letters Patent granted me February 16, 1897,No. 577,288. The improvementsv referred to make the device more convenient, efficient, and durable.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a frontview of the card-holder. Fig. 2 is an end view of the holder and the side of the car to which it is attached. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one corner of the plate on thevdiagonal line 3 3 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a back view of one corner of the plate. Fig. 5 is a lower edge view of the plate, showing the prongs or spurs integral with it. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the plate on a line through one of the prongs.

The letter A designates the back plate, made of sheet metal and having at its top a broad horizontal flange l), projecting forward and serving purposes hereinafter set forth. At each of the two upper corners of the sheetmetal backl is a loop c, integral with the said metal back. Each of these loops is formedby two parallel slits d, cut through the sheet metal, and the narrow part between the two slits is pressed or bulged forward and outward, and thus forms the loop c. T he prongs or spurs e-two or three in number-are also integral with the back plate. Each spur is tapered V-shaped and projects forward at the front of the plate. Each spur is formed by punching a V-shaped slot e in the plate, making the cut of the slot on the two oblique edges only, and then turning or bending the pointed tongue e forward and outward. This construction of spurs to penetrate the card is a great improvement over those shown in my former patent. There the spurs lack rigidity and are yielding and unsatisfactory. Here the spurs are firm, rigid, and sure to coincide with the loop-eyes g.

A clamp-bar F, made of wire, has as many loop-eyes g as there are prongs or spurs. Each loop-eye is formed by a single coil, and these eyes take over the spurs e. The eyebar is integral with two spring-arms h, each of which has a resilient coil j. The end of each spring-arm passes under one of the loops c at the upper corners of the plate, and the extremity of the arm projects beyond the loop, and said extremity is bent laterally, as at z', and forms a hook. The metal loop c is then settled or jammed down tightly on theI end of the arm by means of a suitable tool or by the blow of a hammer. This construction for attaching the spring-arms h to the metal back plate A holds the arms rmly and is durable. l

A bar 7cl extends horizontally across from one arm h to the other andis connected therewith.

It will be seen the top flange b of the plate projects forward and is above the springarms h, the clamp-bar, and the prongs e, and serves toprotect these parts and the card held by them to some extent from the weather, and as this flange b is very rigid it alsoprotects the parts mentioned from side-sweeping. Anything that would likely side-sweep the card or prongs would be fendedV off by the flange.

The card-holder is secured to the side of a car by nails or screws l through holes'in the back plate.

A card is placed in position by lirst raising or pulling forward the clamp-bar F and then slipping the card between the bar and the spurs e. The spring-pressure of the bar .will force the card over the spurs, and the loopeyes g will confine the card on. the spurs.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is* A A card-holder for attachment to freightcars, comprising a sheet-metalback plate, A, having at its top a horizontal ange, b, projecting forward, and having at two corners a loop, c, integral with the said plate-said loop formed by parallel slits, and said plate being provided with prongs or spurs, e, whose point ends are punched from the plate and IOO bent forward; a clamp-bar', F, having loopL eyes which take over the said prongs or spurs; andsprng-arms, h, Carrying the clamp-bar and the end of each springarm passed through one of the said loops with the projecting extremity bent laterally like a hook, as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN H. DOWNING.

Witnesses:

Y W. M. RODECK. J. R. PORTER. 

